Get Out Alive
by NexusTehULF0o
Summary: Inspired by the song “Get Out Alive” by Three Days Grace. Sheena accompanies Zelos on a journey to vanquish a suspicious group of people known as the “Remnants.” COMPLETE
1. Chapter One – Reality Reminisce

**Title: Get Out Alive**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

**Description: Inspired by the song "Get Out Alive" by **_**Three Days Grace. **_**Sheena accompanies Zelos on a journey to vanquish a suspicious group of people known as the "Remnants." **

**Rating: T for death, angst, and language…seriously, I was a crying, depressed wreck while writing this. **

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA, NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM THE GAME. **

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**Nexus: "This is a very angst-y fic; something out of the ordinary for me. If any of you knew me personally, you would know that I am naturally a quite sunny person, and when listening to **_**Three Days Grace**_**, especially "Get Out Alive," the only thing I could think about was a Sheelos deathfic. So here I am, a messed up wreck, with a Sheelos deathfic that I could enjoy writing and sob at at the same time. If this is good, then I'm glad, because I'm not writing another Sheelos deathfic ever again. So…**

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**Enjoy?" **

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**Author's Note: The italicized lyrics are not being sung; they are italicized to separate the lyrics from the rest of the story.**

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**Chapter One – Reality/Reminisce**

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_If you want to get out alive, run for your life. _

Those were the only words uttered in order for her to start running for the light beaming at one end of the tunnel. Tears were streaming from her eyes, causing her to stumble and forcing her to catch herself and wipe her eyes with her glove.

_No time for goodbye… Don't put your life in someone's hands; they're bound to steal it away. Don't hide your mistakes 'cuse they'll find you…burn you…_

He had told her, his voice getting weaker as he continued to speak. She had pleaded him to stay with her, that they would find some way to survive together. He just needed to stay. That was all she wanted. She told him that she would help. He just needed to hang on. He had to. Without missing a beat, he'd chuckled.

And now she was alone. So very alone.

It was a cold sinking feeling that infiltrated quickly through her heart and soul, numbing them, but causing more pain nonetheless.

_If I stay, it won't be long, 'till I'm burning on the inside…_

_If I go, I can only hope, that I'll make it to the other side…_

She tripped again, falling face first into the rocky floor, her tears catching the dirt on her face and staining her cheeks. She let out a wail of agony, distress, and pain, pushing her face into the ground as if to look for some kind of warmth. Some retribution in this godforsaken layer of hell of which she was trapped forever.

She had tried everything to sway him, hadn't she told him…over and over again…that she loved him? When all this time, she had denied it, called him weak and heartless…called him narcissistic and rude…unfeeling and undeserving of a woman's love? She had convinced herself that it all was true, even if in the beginning, she didn't want to believe it. But now…when she had come to know him on so many different levels…when she had come to see through his egotistical, uncaring façade…

A dead man stole her first kiss…the only man she truly loved.

_If you want to get out alive, run for your life._

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Sheena Fujibayashi had stared at him.

He had the same face on as he did when he asked a question he knew she would be unwilling to answer. As did she.

And then he laughed.

She had no idea why she loved his laugh so much. It made her feel like none of this was serious. Like she could relax.

Of course, nothing was serious with Tethe'alla's own Chosen of Mana.

"Oh, come on, you don't think I would ask you first?" He asked, leaning forward while placing his palms on his knees. "Who else am I gonna ask?"

"I dunno…Lloyd? The King? Why do you need me?" She asked, shrugging it off. "Don't you know I'm the Chief of Mizuho now? I have many duties to attend to…!" She shook her head.

"But…I trust _you_ the most." He looked away, making Orochi shudder in the corner.

That wasn't something that she entirely expected.

Zelos had been getting better at expressing his true feelings, especially to her for some reason. Though there would always be the side she had come to know; the side of him that she could not stand in the least.

"Uh…mmmh…" She stammered, looking away herself before blushing a bit.

"Come on!" He smiled warmly at her, sitting straight. "It'll be fun!"

There was a pause where Orochi cleared his throat.

"I won't like this." She told him while standing and rolling her eyes. Beaming, the Chosen stood as well, brushing off his pants and nodding to Orochi, who sighed out of his nose and looked to the other side of the room.

Agreeing to go anywhere with Zelos was a hassle. After all, she had gone on a "vacation" with him once…one that she was all too close to something she'd rather not talk about.

The Chosen was suspicious to a gang of 'weirdoes' as he put them, gathering in Meltokio. He had seen them in the city before and that they all had an odd star-shaped symbol on a sweatband on their arm. He had said they called themselves 'Remnants.' He thought they might be up to something. Something having to do with the Church of Martel.

She still wondered whether this was a good idea or not…but it was a chance she had to take…If he thought that it was _that_ important that she would have to come along…then she might as well go.

And so, after leaving the village of Mizuho, Sheena and Zelos boarded a Rheaird, both unaware to how far this little journey would take the both of them.

She held tight to the Chosen's waist, having not been acquainted with heights since the journey of Salvation. She looked down, seeing clouds hovering below her as well as the distant outline of cities and towns in the new land of Aselia. Zelos chuckled and leaned forward.

"You would just get mad at me if I didn't ask you, anyways," He spoke up, shaking his head when she scoffed under her breath.

"No I wouldn't…" She trailed off, although she knew herself it was an utter lie. Smiling a little, she tried to distance herself from his back, only wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him not even an inch to enjoy for himself.

She loved to spite him.

Zelos sighed, his mouth bunching on one side of his face as he rolled his eyes and pressed the speed button, smiling deviously as they lurched forward and caused her to cling to him even more.

Unfortunately, spite worked both ways.

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The two of them shortly touched down in Meltokio, where an audience with the King awaited them soon thereafter. There was just enough time for Zelos to "swing by" his house and grab some things for their journey of which they were going to prep the King for. Sebastian, Zelos' butler, swiftly exchanged words with Sheena while Zelos hurried upstairs, muttering something or another.

Minutes later, the same Chosen guided her out the door, dismissing his butler and closing the door behind him.

Zelos linked arms with the summoner as they ascended the flights of stairs leading up to the King's palace, something that Sheena was none too happy about. Her eyes darted about the noble quarter, taking note that any woman who saw her would most likely ambush her later, when she was alone. So she inched closer to the swordsman momentarily, the Chosen beaming as she did so. As she went to return her eyes forward, a red stripe clouded her vision. A woman a bit older than she locked eyes with Sheena as she returned to eyes to what she had seen before; this caused her to instantly advert to the closest nonmoving object in her view. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched the navy-blue haired woman, who gazed at her and Zelos for a few more seconds before adjusting a red band on her arm and withdrawing inside the Church of Martel.

"So," Zelos said with a sigh after a couple of seconds had passed, " You saw her too, then?"

Sheena nodded solemnly, straightening her back as if not faltered by the event. Zelos chuckled.

"You see the emblem she was wearing on her arm? That's not the first time I've seen those. Think I've seen her before too; they're all lookin' at me like I'm some kinda evil. To tell you the truth, I'm kinda worried. I'm sleepin' with one eye open." He replied, shrugging before shaking his head. "They never do anything though; always are scurrying back into the Church before I can even catch a good glimpse of 'em. I've been spying on 'em for awhile now, actually."

"Mmmh…" was all she could make out at the moment.

That woman had looked at her with _hatred_; anyone just giving her a passing glance would have guessed it was one of the many women swooning over the "manly, popular Chosen," and mistaking them for a couple. But that was not the case. When she caught the woman's eyes, she saw many things; jealousy _not _being one of them.

She remained silent, removing her arm from Zelos' and mentally wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.

"Your Majesty." Zelos bowed low for the King of the continent of Tethe'alla, outstretching his other hand to his side while the first was held just before his waist.

"Chosen." The King nodded while gently shifting on his throne, causing his crown to tilt slightly on his head. He turned to Sheena, who, in the traditional Igaguri style, crossed her arms over her chest and bowed equally low for the monarch.

"And Elected Emissary of Peace, Sheena Fujibayashi." He nodded towards the woman as well, a sign allowing her to stand straight. "What brings you two?" The king asked, royalty drowning his voice as he spoke. "A grant to marry, I trust?"

This warranted an unsettling silence to pass high and far between the three of them. Unfortunately, Sheena was not permitted to scream at the King in protest.

The King cleared his throat abruptly, making the two before him stand straighter. "I kid; naturally, I kid. What is your purpose? Chosen, I believe you said something about a band of people gathering in Meltokio?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Chosen began, nodding while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I have recently noticed many people inside Meltokio wearing some kind of band around their right forearms with an odd star-shaped insignia on them – I'm genuinely concerned for the welfare of the city and you, Your Majesty, and so I recruited her…" he briefly pointed to Sheena at the mention of this, "In order to get to the bottom of it." He pounded his fist into his open palm. The King nodded before turning to Sheena.

"Chief of Mizuho," He said boldly, making her feel rather important, "I trust you will be able to keep our Chosen in line, much less bring him back safely?"

She nodded, placing her hands behind her back.

"Naturally, Your Majesty." She replied confidently.

"It is settled, then." The King announced. "I grant the Chosen of Tethe'alla, Zelos Wilder, and his companion, Elected Emissary of Peace, Sheena Fujibayashi, permission to further investigate this shady bunch of trespassers. You will report to me when your investigation is complete however, and should you find them to be a threat, we will likely have them eradicated. And so Chosen, Chief…" He bowed his head to the two of them, who did the same in return. "I bid you two good luck."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Done and done, Your Highness."

The two spoke in unison before leaving the King's quarter, Zelos smiling a bit after they did so.

"What are you so happy about?" Sheena frowned, folding her arms. She hated any time that she had to have an audience with the King; mostly because they all involved interaction with "everyone's favorite Chosen."

"Aw, nothing. Guess adventuring's just my thing." He told her, placing his hands on his hips after adjusting his sword on his belt. "Anyways, I was thinkin' we might check the Church first. Does my voluptuous hunny have anything to say to that?"

Sheena scoffed briskly, shaking her head as if she would never understand his odd mannerisms.

"You're the boss, I guess." She shrugged, folding her arms.

The Chosen flashed a smile to the equivalent of a young boy in a candy store, turning around to face the entrance to the city and striking his fists into the air. She couldn't help but smile as well, although for what reason, she wasn't sure.

"All right!" he exclaimed, making a good number of people look at him until they realized it was "The Great Chosen," "Let's do this thing!"


	2. Chapter Two – Discovery Church

**Title: Get Out Alive**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA, NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM THE GAME.**

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**Chapter Two – Discovery/Church**

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When the two of them crept inside the Church, Zelos grabbed onto the hilt of his sword and warily continued forward. Whether he was seriously worried that this was dangerous, or trying to be overdramatic, Sheena didn't know. But, treating the place as if a minefield, she shrugged and withdrew her cards from her shirt, ducking behind the pillar on the right side of the door. Zelos took the hint to move behind the left one.

As far as she was able, she could see that nobody had heard them come in. Church was not in session, but there stood a priest at the altar, looking down at it. No one else appeared to be in the room.

Eyes narrowing, Sheena proceeded to think about revealing her station but was swiftly interrupted but a loud voice calling, "Oi, so where are they?"

"Zelos!" She whispered, but the swordsman didn't seem to hear her. Defeated, she casually walked from behind the pillar and moved behind him, glancing around to make sure they were alone except for the priest and this stupid Chosen she had agreed to come along with.

The priest looked up, surprised by their sudden presence in the Church.

"Oh! Why hello, Chosen! I see you've brought -"

Zelos didn't give him time to finish his sentence, running up the altar steps and withdrawing his sword. He swiftly pointed at the priest's stomach, narrowing his eyes while the smile on his face disappeared in a flash.

"I said, 'Where are they?'" He muttered angrily, switching the point of the sword so it dug into the pastor's neck.

"Zelos! What are you doing? Threatening a priest…!" Sheena placed a hand on the swordsman's shoulder, and causing Zelos to sneer.

"Careful, Sheena. I know this guy. Remember the Pope? This guy was one of the Pope's lackeys, and I bet you…" He pressed the sword point into the trembling man's neck, drawing blood that slowly trickled down his throat. "He would easily trade Martel again for these guys."

"The Chosen! The Chosen is here!" The man called out, and suddenly, tons of eyes were upon them. Zelos scanned the people now surrounding them and then spat angrily. Sheena turned around to see them surrounded. She gasped softly, trying to hide her surprise.

"You bastard!"

And with that, Zelos slit the priest's throat, sending the corpse spinning off of the altar.

Sheena's back arched against the swordsman's in an attempt to speak with him, holding cards in both hands.

"What'll we do, Zelos?" She asked, watching all of the people around to make sure that none were coming at them. Zelos, letting out an angry sigh through his nose, readied his sword and muttered; "We got ourselves into this…so I suppose we have to expect it…" He snickered. "This can't be their base…"

The group inched closer, closing the circle with them inside.

"Zelos! They're getting closer!"

"We just need to find their base, that's all. Could you work up a spirit?"

"I'll get murdered! Zelos, this is no time to fool around…!"

"Just do it. I'll protect you…!" He grinned, stepping out from behind her and slashing the air briefly before pointing to the exit. He flashed a brilliant smile that Sheena would have admired if she wasn't so shocked and rather frightened.

Mentally wondering what the Chosen was cooking up, she pulled her feet together and placed one of her cards in front of her. The card began to spin rapidly, runes carving themselves into the ground under her as Zelos screamed at the group that had surrounded them.

"Yeah, it's me; the Great Chosen! So, what're you twerps gonna do about it? Come'n get me! Are you guys stalkin' me or something?"

Then the fighting began.

Zelos lunged forward as the group surrounded him, pulling out various weapons and proceeding to slash and thrust at him. The Chosen kept close to the ninja who couldn't help but deviate her focus once in a while, making sure that he was okay and then turning her attention back to the task she was performing rather slowly.

Zelos stepped back, blood flecking his face as he crouched down, placing a hand to his stomach. The Remnants ran towards him like a horde of the undead, shouting battle cries or yelling some obscenity or another. Zelos chuckled, glancing behind him to Sheena for a second before diving into the crowd again and continuing onwards. He slashed all around him, at the same time parrying a blow to his left caused by a man using a lance. He quickly brought the butt of his sword down on that one, cracking his skull and leaving him to bleed.

"Double Demon Fang!" He cried, sending two slashes at the group, who desperately attempted to dodge. It gave him time.

Instinctively, the Chosen was then moving his free hand as if conducting an orchestra.

"Burn, baby!" He cried, opening his eyes and spinning once. He held up his hand in front of him as a large pit of lava appeared underneath their enemies, surprising and confusing them.

"Eeeee-ruption!"

Then the pit exploded, covering the enemy in boiling lava and raising the temperature in the hall by more than twenty degrees.

Sheena closed her eyes once more and tried to concentrate – she just couldn't keep herself from worrying about him.

Zelos smiled smugly, watching many fall underneath the mid-level spell and not return to their feet. Without looking behind him, he clutched his sword and ran forward, yelling, "How's that summon coming, Sheena?" behind him as he did so.

She'd been distracted yet again. Opening her eyes, she watched the twenty-two year old momentarily before she replied, "I'm working on it!"

"Well, you think you could 'work on it' a little…faster?"

"Shut up! You're not helping me!"

He ignored that comment, kicking one of the survivors back while whipping his blade at another. He spun his sword and then stuck it into the first, slashing upwards and catching a few in the vortex.

"Victory Light Spear!" He roared, spinning once before landing on the stone floor. Sheena could sense the Remnants' presence around her, so she concentrated hard on the last incantation.

She opened her eyes one last time to see a few that were beginning to circle her.

Thankfully, Zelos noticed them as well.

He lunged over, scaring them away from her as she began to chant the final spell.

"I call upon the source of Heaven –"

Zelos sliced at everything he saw move.

"– Earth –"

"Hell Pyre!" The Chosen jumped in the air before twirling and spewing fireballs from his sword point. The Remnants crowded underneath him, looking to spear him out of the air. He fell, smiling as he kicked downwards, launching himself off of their heads and onto the ground with utmost finesse.

" – And everything in between; the ruler of All!" She grabbed the card spinning rapidly in the air, about to hold it up when a hand clapped over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist, causing her to instinctively squirm.

"' I summon Origin!', is that it?" Her captor mocked her in a girlish tone, grinning devilishly at her face that watched him from the side.

"Sheena!" Zelos called, instantly deviating from the horde of them to the one who had ensnared his companion. He charged forward, crying out a "Let go of her!" as he prepared to attack.

Unfortunately, the one holding Sheena was smarter than that.

He whipped out a pocketknife and held it at her throat, chuckling when Zelos stopped in his tracks.

"You're coming with us, Chosen." The man, one younger than Zelos with shiny silver hair, threatened the redhead, calmly moving his hand from Sheena's mouth to tightly around her neck. He adjusted the pocketknife accordingly so he could slit her throat if the Chosen wasn't cooperative. Zelos sensed the fighting die down and then sheathed his weapon.

"No, Zelos!" Sheena impulsively reached for him, withdrawing when she felt the pocketknife press against her. "Don't do it!" She didn't have time to realize that she was basically sacrificing herself for the normally irritating Chosen.

He pulled his weapon from his belt, tossing it onto the ground in front of him and looking up to Sheena's captor.

"I'll go. Just leave Sheena alone." He glanced at the summoner momentarily, flashing her a weak smile. Two people grabbed his arms before Zelos could react, latching a pair of shackles around his wrists.

"Heh," He chuckled, looking to Sheena. "Guess I'll be seein' ya, Sheena. I'm about as useful as Regal now."

"Zelos…" She reached for him, but was snatched back by the man holding her captive. Zelos and the people guiding him left, and then the Remnants living dragged the dead away into parts unknown to her.

Tears streaking her face, Sheena realized that she was unable to protect Zelos again; unable to see through his bravado and understand him fully. And so he got captured again, and this time, _she _might be in deeper than she thought as well.

"_Now, _my sweet, I believe you're soon to join your little Chosen. You know too much. Unless you do a little something for me…" The Remnant holding her hostage whispered in her ear, snickering and firing up Sheena's temper. She attempted to use her hands to hit him so he would let go of her, but he dodged her with ease.

"Let me _go._" She spat, trying to writhe free.

"Aw, don't be like that," The man conned. "To leave me without a token of your gratitude for letting you go unharmed…"

"Where are you taking him?" She retorted through grit teeth.

"Come on, little one, just one –"

"I'd rather _die._" Sheena decided she'd answer his question and tried to wrestle out of his grasp. Unfortunately, his grip was stronger than she was. Closing the pocketknife and pulling it away from her neck, the Remnant violently pressed down against the side of her neck, in a position that could have been mistaken for feeling her pulse. Sheena kept struggling to break free, but as his arm was tightly constricted around her waist, she found it no use.

"Let go of me!" She cried, flailing her arms. "Let…go…"

Suddenly, everything faded to black, and she fell limp in her captor's arms.


	3. Chapter Three – Capture Base

**Title: Get Out Alive**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA, NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM THE GAME.**

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**Chapter Three – Capture/Base**

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Sheena's eyes fluttered open quickly and she glanced around warily, unknown to where she was.

As her memory began to sift itself into her thoughts, she realized that she had been such a bad ninja back at the church; she had no idea why she forgot to use all of the special techniques accompanying that title. Attempting to move, she realized that her hands had been tied by a tight rope, and decided to sit and gather more about her surroundings before she considered escaping. She scanned the area, two things immediately catching her attention. First, she noticed that it was extremely dark; she could barely see two feet in front of her. The second part was the damp, sticky feeling that lingered in the air. The dirt floor under her was wet, dampening her clothes and causing her to become uncomfortable. As she automatically tried to adjust herself in order to not get any wetter, she knocked something that fell to the floor with a sharp _thud. _She stopped suddenly, glancing that way in a surprised manner as it groaned, and flinched when something tall swung upwards towards her.

"Man…stupid dirt…aw, that's gross…" A voice said when the object stopped moving, causing Sheena's eyes to shimmer with excitement. "Can't anyone take a decent nap in this hell of a jail cell?"

"Zelos?" She asked eagerly.

There was silence.

Her voice came again, only this time it was a bit weaker; a lot less confident than it had been.

"Zelos, are you there?"

There was more silence, but she could hear shifting in the darkness she was consumed by. A brief moment passed where she thought it might not be the one she was looking for, although her mind had refused to believe it. It sure _sounded_ like him; she wondered that if it wasn't him, then who was it? More importantly, where was Zelos, then?

But then it came.

"Sheena? You're awake!"

"Zelos!"

The ninja felt something wet touch her shoulder and assumed it was Zelos, seeing as he had just fallen onto the sodden dirt floor in his sleep.

"Sheena!" He exclaimed in a whisper, "I missed you, hunny. Thought I was never gonna see you again."

Her embarrassment rose to the occasion as she processed all that he could have been implying, but swiftly pushed all of it out of the way in an attempt to see through their current problem.

"Yeah, well…" She mumbled, habitually trying to hide her face. "It's all your fault for getting captured like that. I could have taken care of it, had you given me a couple of minutes."

The Chosen scoffed, and she felt the wet spot lift from her shoulder.

"Mmmmhmmm…sure you could. That's why you got captured in the first place. And I had to sacrifice my ass for yours!"

"You're the one who wanted me to summon! Besides," she barked, moving away from him and narrowing her eyebrows, "I'm here now anyway; sacrificing yourself did me no good."

"I thought they might have let you go had I just complied," Zelos admitted, making her gaze soften. He sighed, inwardly making her feel a bit sorry for snapping at him. "I'm sorry I even got you into this. They always end up just using you or someone else close to me for leverage."

Well, that shut Sheena up for sure. The problem was that Zelos thought Sheena _close to him, _and apparently so did everyone else. A part of her soared; the other stayed firmly on the ground in a confused state that could only be described as denial.

Well, she had been spending more and more time with him lately; when she had been working as Chief of Mizuho for days, non-stop, and hadn't slept or relaxed in a long time, he would come and 'visit' her. They would talk and relax; exchange stories. Some of the happiest times she had, she wouldn't admit to anyone but herself, were the moments spent with the irritating Chosen, who –dare she even think this–was becoming more tolerable every day.

But that wasn't enough to draw him away from the façade that constantly kept their relationship at arm's length.

"I mean, they see the Chosen with a beautiful girl, and they immediately assume that I'm going to save her like the knight in shining armor that I'm made out to be…Not to say that I won't, but…" She felt him shift.

"You're terrible." She retorted playfully, and Zelos snickered softly under his breath.

"Yup, I am." He agreed. "Very terrible."

There was a silence that drifted between them as the summoner took in a breath of damp air.

"Zelos…are…are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" She asked quietly, knowing that while she was curious about his well being, he probably had other things on his mind.

That was why she was so surprised when he responded with a very genuine, "That's not the problem. I'm fine – you don't need to worry about me. Now you, Sheena, are a different story. You _are_ okay, I assume? That man that captured you…well, should I say, nothing's changed…?" He trailed off suggestively, nudging her a bit.

She scoffed.

"Not that I know of," The ninja mumbled, not sure how long she had been unconscious but felt the same except for a couple sore spots on her arms. He leaned slightly against her, making her smile a little to herself.

"That's good to hear." He told her in a light whisper. " 'Cause, ya know…I was worried about ya."

That triggered the ninja's emotions, making her blush slightly as the man beside her began to scoot closer to her side.

"Yeah…" She muttered before Zelos began to explain how he got thrown in this cell after being taken here by escort. She caught that this place was located right outside the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge and that they kept talking about what the "boss" would want to do with him, so this was probably where the headquarters were located. She felt herself tilt comfortably towards his shoulder, her eyes closing momentarily. She spoke nothing herself, her head throbbing from when she had been knocked out. She vaguely remembered waking up before this, being surrounded by a bright white light. It didn't last long – she had probably been drugged after that man made her pass out.

"Eh, Zelos…How long have we been in here?" She asked quietly after he finished his long and dramatic tale.

"Hm?"

"How long have we been in here?" She repeated, a rhythmic dripping sound attracting her attention. Her eyes drooped a little as the pound of her head began to sync with it, causing her to pay more attention to that then staying conscious…

"You? Probly, mmmh, 'bout two days…? Me, I came in here three days ago. That's why I wondered if you were...well, intact."

"Mmmh."

"Why?"

"Oh, no, no reason…"

"Oh."

There was silence.

"You have any idea how to get outta here, Sheena? My cuffs itch."

"Mmmh…maybe…we have to get out of here soon. I might have a plan, though…"

"Really? What is it?"

There was silence again.

"Sheena?"

Her head fell limp against his shoulder, and she took in a deep breath. The ninja smiled contently and nuzzled against him, slightly unaware of her actions. Zelos gladly shifted for her benefit.

The only thing she remembered after that was something soft and warm on top of her head and a faraway voice kindly wishing her a good night.

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"Up, you stupid wench; up!" A voice called, jerking Sheena out of her slumber. She finally realized how Zelos felt when she had accidentally knocked him to the floor. Her head hit the mud with a thump; when she opened her eyes, she saw a bright light and the figure of a large, muscular man standing in it. It appeared he was holding some kind of lantern. She cringed, not having seen the light in a good while now.

"Hey! Ease up on the insults there, tiny! She's not the one you want; I am, remember?" Zelos chimed in, his normally soothing, calm voice tainted with a sharp snap. "So leave her alone. If anyone deserves an insult here, it's definitely you, anyway."

The bulky man scoffed noisily.

"Is that a challenge, Chosen?" The muscular man asked, moving the light slightly for some reason. She glanced over at Zelos, who, despite having on handcuffs, was raring for a fight. He cocked a hip.

"Suppose it is. Whatcha ya gonna do about it, Tiny Tim? I could beat you with BOTH hands tied behind my back!"

"Shut up, Zelos!" Sheena cried, sitting up before the large man wrenched her to her feet, moving to dust herself off, but remembering soon after that he hands were tightly secured together by rope that now burned her wrists when she moved. "Look, this stupid Chosen has no idea what he's saying. Sorry."

The man grumbled as he placed a rope through her bound hands, which she noticed were now in the front. She noticed that he also had a dark red band tied around his arm with a star-like symbol sown into it. Zelos caught her attention as he stood there, standing tall and serious – his handcuffs had also been moved so his hands rested in front of him.

He seriously reminded her of Regal, strong and silent as the president was. Zelos seemed in a pensive state, something that Sheena rarely saw him in. Although he didn't really seem all that annoyed or frightened to be captured, he still looked as if contemplating something…

She was suddenly jolted forward, the man pulling in the rope he had tied her to. They moved out of the cell and into a dark hallway, where she and Zelos were shoulder to shoulder, the man's boots squishing in the mud as he trudged just in front of them.

Her eyes turned forward, glancing at the back of the man who carried the rope and the lantern.

"Where are you taking us?" She asked calmly.

"The Boss wants to see you." The man grumbled, barely audible over the squishing noise the three's feet made when they pressed against the mud below them.

She sighed heavily, gazing to the ground that was illuminated a bit by the lamp being carried.

Whatever she had thought before about getting out of this place…she had no idea that it was this bad – where she had no clue where she even was, much less the way out of here…

There was a sudden cracking noise by her head that caused her eyes to snap up to the large, muscular man falling to the floor in front of her. The ninja gasped in slight surprise, Zelos lowering his muddy yellow-trimmed boot back to the floor.

The glass lantern shattered on the dirt floor with a large, inharmonious crash, once again leaving them in the dark.

"That's for the insults, little man." Zelos spat before someone roughly grabbed her hands, undoing the rope tying them together as best he could with shackles around his wrists.

"Zelos!" She cried out, feeling the still air in the cave-like place pull away from her as he moved back.

"Shhh." He hushed her, and she guessed it must have been him "He's not dead. I just gave him one to the back o' the head. Now, you see any weapons on him?"

"Zelos, you –"

"They'll be after us soon! You see any weapons on him or not?"

She crouched down, taking a moment to linger on his harsh words with her, but searching the body for anything the man might have been carrying. Unfortunately, his pocket only held a bit of change and a piece of string.

"No." Se replied, looking up at where she perceived the Chosen to be.

"No? Then follow me."

His warm hands grasped hers and pulled her along with him, guiding her through the dark, damp corridors of their captor's base. She blindly followed him without hesitation, knowing that since she could not see anything and he had walked the same cave-like halls when he had entered, she might as well let him lead. Now was not the time to be thinking of herself. There was Zelos to be worrying about. Clearly, they were after him, and the only reason she was here was because she knew too much. If Zelos were to die, then she would most certainly be next.

---

Their pace slowed as time dragged on. Zelos would stop when the path forked, trying to remember which way he came or which way he heard was dangerous from eavesdropping on the guards.

"I think we're getting close now, Sheena…" He had whispered to her as they stopped between another two passageways spanning out before them. "You feel that?"

The ninja, who had said nothing throughout the entire time that she and Zelos had been running, closed her eyes for a moment and smiled as a breeze drifted past her face, blowing her bangs away from her face. The wind smelled faintly of sea salt and…the smell reminding her of sunshine, something she had not seen since she had been captured.

"We're almost there…" The Chosen whispered to her, squeezing her hand that was uncomfortably clutched in his cuffed ones. "I think we should…"

"I thought I heard footsteps coming this way!" Someone cried from not far away, causing the little hairs on the back on the back of Sheena's neck to tingle. Zelos, however, was already on top of that. He pulled her towards him and darted into one of the passages, shoving her against the wall and sandwiching her between him and it.

"Look! Tracks! They came this way!" Lights shone brilliantly not far off. Sheena watched nervously, clutching the Chosen's hand that she refused to let go of. Zelos pressed himself to the wall making absolute sure they weren't seen. She could feel the slow rise and fall of the man's chest against the side of her face, his heart beating out of rhythm with hers. She closed her eyes tightly, keeping hold of his hand as the men drew ever closer.

'**Don't let them see us…Please…Let them pass…Let us escape…Please…'**

The words echoed inside her head as the soft steps through the sludge ascended in a large crescendo, increasing her thoughts on the mob by about thirty people.

'_**Please…keep us hidden…Let us go…We're almost out…Please…'**_

Lights filled the passageway, causing Sheena to open her eyes and watch them in case they were exposed. She quickly closed them however, when the lamps passed by them unnoticed.

She almost sighed in relief.

"Wait, what was that? Put your light over there again…"

Both the Chosen and the ninja beneath him held their breath. He squeezed her had tightly once, both reassuring her and signaling that he was prepared to run if they had to.

'_**Please don't let them find us…Keep us hidden…Please, please save us…You have to save us…'**_

A couple of whispers escaped the group, as if in discussion.

"Hey, you –"

They took off.

Soon, she could see nothing. Adrenaline had long kicked in, and omit the man before her, everything was a blur. But barely that.

Yells could be heard not far off, but no light was behind them. Sheena turned in front of her to watch the Chosen sidestep in order to guide her by the hand, seeing as the handcuffs were still tightly locked around each of his wrists.

She pulled forward, watching his wrists carefully as she grabbed them with her other hand, hoping that his hands would be caked with mud and be saturated enough with water that they would somehow slip out. One hand was enough for now. She clutched one hand, pushing it in through the cuff. As expected, his hand was too big to fit through, but she persisted, causing Zelos to hiss a bit when she pushed too hard.

"The hell – what're you doing?" He asked as she attempting to contort his hand into a position that could fit through the pair of shackles.

"Shut up and run." She stated, blatantly annoyed, as breathless as the statement was.

"Sheena –"

"Do it!" She cried, shoving his hand through the hole of the manacle, popping it out of the cuff hole and freeing him from the cuffs. She still held one hand firmly, letting the other go as he swung it around to face forward.

"What're we gonna do?" He asked her quietly, obviously disregarding the part of the statement that included 'Shut up.' "We can't run forever."

The ninja remained silent, thinking to look behind her but remembering she was in the dark with their pursuers far behind them.

"Sheena, do you…?"

Zelos stopped talking as they came to another fork in the road. There were three passages, not to mention another one coming from behind them. Coming to a sharp halt in the middle, Sheena let go of the Chosen's hand to look behind them. Nothing was visible, which meant that their pursuers were not _right_ on their tails.

"Which one do you think –"

"You think we have time for that?" Sheena snapped, frustrated. "Pick one! They'll be here soon!"

As if on cue, something faintly lit up the hall they had come through.

"But what if…?"

"Here they come, Zelos!" She cried breathlessly, turning to run but briefly asking herself if this was what Zelos was like under life-or-death pressure…under that mask... "Follow me!"

There was no time to debate it; the two of them retreated into the leftmost corridor.

But they soon found just how much luck they had in this hellish place.

The ninja skidded to a stop, facing a wall of dirt towering high above her. Zelos grabbed hold of her shoulder in order to stop himself from sliding in the mud below them. Swirling around, Sheena's eyes widened as she saw the mob draw closer to their location. The light from their various lanterns illuminated the hall around them enough so she could now see their surrounding area, and Zelos, who had removed his pink jacket in order to cool off and keep hidden.

"Ah, so here it ends. Might as well go out with a bang, eh?" He asked, turning to her and flashing one of his dazzling smiles.

But that was just it. This smile held no hope, no thoughts that they were ever going to get out of here. After all, they were weaponless and being avidly hunted like predator amongst prey. Nonetheless, that smile…it angered Sheena to no end.

"You idiot!" She cried, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "We'll fight! It's not over yet!"

That grin she hated so much was gone in a flash, replaced by the straightest, most serious face she'd ever seen in her life. It was as if, for that moment, all other thoughts had drained from him; like, for that tiny, microscopic second, he understood.

And then he kissed her.

Although it was clearly out of desperation; the idea of never seeing each other again playing a key role; Sheena almost thought it passionate. She almost wanted to stay in this point in time for as long as time went on, for as long as she could feel her lips against his…nothing else, not being captured, not being chased by a horde of people, not ever getting out of this place mattered at all.

But naturally, the moment wasn't meant to last.

He wrenched away abruptly and watched her for a moment, searching for some kind of praise; some sign saying that this was what she wanted; that she encouraged that. But, like an idiot, she stood there baffled, staring blankly into his cerulean eyes. So, as if nothing had ever happened, he swirled around to face the group meeting them head on, runes appearing beneath his feet as he muttered, "Might not have a sword…but I can still do magic…"

Swaying his hand around the air as if conducting an orchestra, Zelos closed his eyes and disregarded the approaching horde, hoping he was casting fast enough.

Sheena was not so gifted, however, and, for a few more seconds, continued to watch the swordsman before turning her attention to the approaching Remnants.

The mob cornered the pair, watching Zelos' actions with their weapons at the ready.

The redhead's eyes shot open, a cocky grin playing across his facial features.

"Back, Sheena!" He cried, motioning to the summoner who quickly stepped back behind him.

"This'll buy us some time!" Holding up both hands, the Chosen shook his head at the oncoming crowd.

"Grave!"

Spiny rocks enveloped the gang coming at them, skewering them on the spikes and frightening them backward. Rocks and gravel flew everywhere, causing the ninja to shield herself from the oncoming shower of earth. Instants after finishing his spell, Zelos was in the fray of Remnants, kicking and punching with often clichéd cries of power such as "Who's Your Daddy?" and "I'm gonna mess you up bad, boy!"

As expected, there were far too many of the Remnants for the Chosen himself to do much damage. There were many more than thirty people, as she had thought before, excluding those holding lanterns. And without her cards, she could only use her knowledge as a ninja to help her survive here. So she lunged forward silently, throwing herself at one of the men who easily went down using merely one swift kick to the face and the element of surprise. She stunned many others, but soon noticed that Zelos wasn't the only magic user among them. Three mages stood in the back of the horde, holding their batons in front of them and chanting mantras she could not hear clearly over screams of war cries and others of anguish.

"Zelos!" She called to him, but the Chosen couldn't hear. He was in the middle of it all, swinging a blade he'd recently picked up to slash blindly at enemies closing in on him. The ninja darted through the crowd to warm him, looking to dodge anything aimed for her. She sprung at the circle of people surrounding her companion, ducking a blow to the head from one of the Remnants noticing who she was. She pushed and fought her way through them, eventually finding herself back-to-back with the redhead, who was already nicked up pretty badly. He was ridden in bruises and cuts, and his black undershirt was already pretty beat up. His headband was the only thing really keeping his hair out of his face, and that looked it would fall off soon. She noticed places where her legs touched his skin.

"Zelos, there's too many of them!" she cried, launching a Remnant a kick to the stomach and pushing four others back with him. Zelos chuckled.

"Don't you worry, Sheena! I can handle it!" He stabbed at two spearmen charging at him, sending them falling backwards on the floor.

"Zelos, listen to me! Now is not the time to be noble…" She reprimanded.

"I got it covered! You don't need to worry about anything!"

"Zelos, we'll be killed!"

"Yeah, so?"

She jerked her head to watch the mages, glowing with mana. Almost simultaneously, the three held their staves up in the air and cast their spells.

She latched onto the swordsman and tore through the Remnants like tall grass, heading for the back of the corridor now occupied as a fighting ground.

"Watch out!" She cried, and almost instantly, Zelos turned his back to the group, enveloping Sheena in his arms and nuzzling his face in her hair. The blast from the attack blew the both of them back against the wall, small rocks flying everywhere.

Here she was again, pressed against the sturdy chest of the twenty-two year old Chosen, clinging to his shirt for dear life as the magic ended and the Remnants began to surround them. She could hear the vibrations from Zelos' throat, yelling at the top of his lungs so she could hear him over the chattering of the men encircling them.

"Sorry," He said loudly.

"The magic…" She replied, breathless from running and fighting.

"Thanks." He motioned to unwrap her from his embrace, but he soon found that somewhat impossible. Sheena jerked him back towards her, forcing him to stay close.

"Don't let go!" She exclaimed, tears streaking her face as she grasped his shirt tighter. He willingly returned his arms around her, shielding her body from anything that might have wanted to attack them at the moment. Dust from the magic hid them for the most part, but both of them knew that this was their last stand.

"I'll never let go." He called to her, mildly surprised, but prepared nonetheless. "I got you into this. I'll never _ever _let go of you, Sheena."

The dust cleared, and they were engulfed.


	4. Chapter Four – The Finalé Climax

**Title: Get Out Alive**

**Author: NexustehULF0o**

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TALES OF SYMPHONIA, NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM THE GAME.**

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**Chapter Four – The Finalé/Climax **

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"Hello, Chosen."

Zelos lifted his head weakly upon hearing his title called, whipping his long red hair out of his face in order to see his captor from his knees. He was a tall, gangly man with straight black hair that reached down to his shoulders. He sat cockily in a chair leaning his cheek against one of his closed fists, his elbow rested against one of the arms of the chair.

"Who the hell are you?" The Chosen called out, restraining himself from the cuffs once again tightly around his chafed wrists. "And where's Sheena? What did you do to her?"

"Ah..." The man lifted his head slightly, cracking a smile. "Don't you worry, Chosen; your little friend is safe. But, say you get an answer wrong in the little test you're about to take; she may not stay that way for very long." He laughed.

"Where is she?" Zelos threatened through grit teeth though bound by shackles. "I want to _see_ her."

The man he was on his knees before shrugged lightly, not expecting that. He mulled it over for a moment before responding.

"…Fine. As you wish." He told the Chosen, then gesturing to someone who must have been behind Zelos' eyeshot. "Send her in."

Zelos jerked to look behind him, knowing that if he made a sudden move such as standing, he would probably be killed. As the man before him had said, Sheena was alive; but in the arms of the Remnants, it didn't really matter if they were trying to kill them anyway. A tight pair of shackles now also bound the ninja's wrists together, and she wrestled to get out of the grasp of the men guiding her in. They had gagged her using a bandana that was tied in the back of her head. She noticed him on the floor before her and cried out desperately with what sounded like a sloppy version of his name. Her look became pained, and she ducked her head away, as if she couldn't bear to look at him as he was now. He retaliated by trying to manage a smile for her, and then turned back towards what he guessed was the Remnant's leader while furiously pulling at his handcuffs.

"Look, she has nothing to do with this, so let her go. NOW." He cried out, narrowing his eyebrows. "You want me, right? Well, you got me. Now let Sheena go."

"Oh, nohoho, she'll stay here in case anything should go wrong…"

"I'll do anything, just let her go."

The man was silent, keeping his eyes on the Chosen as if thinking it over.

"No, I think I'll keep her; just as a precaution."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT WITH SHEENA, YOU BASTARD?!"

"Calm down, Chosen; Keep your patience."

Zelos turned his face to the ground for a moment, panting from yelling loudly at him. He then lifted it, to turn and look behind him. The man quickly exchanged glances between the ninja and Zelos, who were both looking towards each other sorrowfully.

"Sorry, Sheena, I tried." The redhead mumbled breathlessly.

"Oh!" The man applauded and chuckled as if entertained. "I see it now! Hahaha! Our ever-philandering Chosen, actually in _love_? What an absolute treat!"

The emphasized word escaping the man caught both of their attentions, swinging their heads to look at him. Zelos turned away and hung his head once more after watching the one who had confined them for a moment, sighing heavily after taking in a deep breath of damp air.

"What is this 'test' you were talking about?" He asked of the man wearily, standing gradually and making every soldier around him uneasy. He slowly lifted his head so that his icy blue eyes were staring straight into his captor's gold ones.

An immoral smile tugged at the lips of the man in the chair, closing his eyes and blowing his black hair out of his face. "Actually, it's more of an offer…" His eyes lit up as he opened them, staring down upon the man at his feet. He adjusted in his chair.

"An offer you can't refuse."

"I can't believe you're going through with this!" Sheena exclaimed angrily after they both had entered the jail cell once more, being thrown in there and having a man constantly guarding their cell. "Why did you have to go and accept that? You don't have to do this, you know! You understand you're not coming out of here alive if you go through with this!"

Zelos sighed. He had foreseen that Sheena would reprimand him had he removed the gag from her mouth, and figured it was coming.

"I have to. It's my fault that you came along with me. So if Xeno wills it done, I guess I'm forced. Anything for you to get outta here safe, Sheena."

"I don't want to leave!" Sheena cried without thinking, making even the guard closing the bars to stare with wonder. "Not if I have to leave you behind!"

"Get over it." He muttered callously, stirring a little as they both plopped down on the muddy floor. "Stop worrying about me. I'm not worth your time. 'Sides, my mind's made up."

There was silence for a moment as Sheena took in his words and adverted her eyes from his face.

"So that's it, then?" She asked shakily, her pupils beginning to sparkle with tears. "You're just going to go and die and leave me all alone. You don't have any kind of plan to get out of this?"

"What?" She heard him turn again, towards her. "Sheena…"

"Fine then! Be like that! …And here I was thinking I loved you, and you _had_ to go and…and…" She fumed, tears of loss and rage streaking her face as she trailed off.

The anger suddenly vanished in the face of bliss as she once again felt her lips press against those of the Chosen, lurching forward and returning the pleasure with such fervor although she still continued to cry. Her eyes instinctively shut themselves tight, angling her head to deepen the kiss a bit more. She then lightly arched herself up against him, swinging her arms from in back of her to around his neck in one swift motion.

But once more, he pulled away when she least expected, let alone wanted, him to, eying her with unspoken question and wonder. She watched him, her gaze softly trickling about his face as if asking her own question – one to which even she didn't know the answer.

"Trust me, Sheena. I would never leave you if I didn't know if you were going to be okay."

"You _don't_ know." She muttered. "I might not."

"I'll make sure you are." Zelos replied with an awkward smirk. "Remember how I said 'Leave it all to me'?"

She nodded weakly.

"Well, do it." He chuckled. "I don't know what I'd do if I've ever let anything happen to you."

Sheena sniffled and leaned her forehead against his chest, and he cocked his head to rub his cheek gently against her arm.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"For what?" She asked between sobs.

"For not protecting you well enough." He replied, causing the ninja to gasp a bit and retreat into silence for a few moments while she thought about how to respond to it.

" Zelos, you –" She began, sniffling a bit.

"Don't lie." He interrupted and she heard the small jingling of chains against each other.

So she didn't say any more.

"Aha…here we are again, aren't we?" The man with black hair stood this time as the two were shoved before him, holding a glass of dark red wine. "Welcome, guests, to my humble abode! After ten years of erosion and digging, the Remnant headquarters is finally done!"

"Cut the shit, Xeno." Zelos spat, wriggling in one of the Remnants' grasps in order to make himself more comfortable. "Let's get this over with."

Xeno flipped his black locks so one could better see his shimmering gold pupils in the light of the fire-lit lanterns, smiling gleefully as Zelos confronted him. Sheena nudged the swordsman next to her.

"Ah yes, the task at hand." Xeno mused, placing a finger to his nose as if focusing hard to remember something. He sighed and shrugged, lazily motioning forward with his free hand. "Very well, Chosen; I suppose you're right, anyway. Bring me the girl."

Zelos watched in horror as he realized he'd been fooled.

"What are you doing?" He cried in fury as he watched two of Xeno's henchmen jerk Sheena towards him. "I thought the deal was me!"

"It _is _you." Xeno explained, hand placed calmly at his hip. "I just figured that if I got rid of the thing that kept you fighting for this long; the thing that you are trying so desperately to save, then maybe you would cooperate better."

"I am cooperating!" He roared, tugging at the people holding him in chains.

"Ah, but my dear friend – Sheena, was it?" He turned to the girl that had been forced before him. Sheena's head snapped up at the sound of her name, although out of adrenaline and desperation, not will. "Wasn't it you that said that you 'wouldn't want to leave if it meant leaving the Chosen behind'? That _was_ you, wasn't it?" He lifted and tilted her tear-stained face with his hand, smiling before shaking his head with three brisk "tsk"s.

"Such a pity, though – to rid of something so beautiful. I can see the appeal, Chosen; a diamond in the rough, wouldn't you say?"

Sheena, although shocked, tore her face away from his grasp. Zelos was tearing at the people behind him, burning with rage.

"You bastard! You said she would go free! _That _was the deal! My life for hers! You promise her freedom, Xeno!" He cried to the black-haired man, struggling to charge at the man as if he were some kind of beast. "You wanted to kill me 'cuse I let Kate live; I killed the Pope, who you sided with. I understand that. But Sheena hasn't done anything to you! Kill me; let her go!"

Xeno merely chuckled at his anger, although his eyes showed a hint of surprise and intimidation.

"Yes, yes," The Remnant leader mused, shrugging. "But then again, I find this way so much more effective. You see, I had been thinking, had you, the Chosen, had something to life for, you might not want to die. But if you had nothing left to live for, then why live? If I kill the one dearest to you…" He gestured to the ninja for a moment, "There will be no one else to fill that place, and so down you will spiral from there. If you think about it, I'm actually doing you both a favor." He cackled in spite of the severity and seriousness of the situation. "Killing you together will only send you both together. It all works! We're all happy!" He unsheathed a sword sitting on the side of his chair, the blade sparkling in the light of the many lanterns surrounding them as the ninja before him bowed her head low in defeat. Although her dirty black locks of hair obscured most of her face, he could tell that she was looking at him, weakly and helplessly as if she were screaming something at the top of her lungs without saying a word.

Xeno raised the sword over his head.

Zelos yelled curses.

Sheena continued staring.

"That's enough!" The Chosen shouted, glaring daggers through the head of the Remnant leader. His hands, although behind him, balled into fists. "I'll show you not to mess with me!"

Both Xeno and Sheena looked up as the Remnants holding him back stepped back a pace, cowering in fear. Zelos' hands broke free, crackling with angelic power. He shook the twisted, mangled metal off of his wrists as he lowered his head, his nails digging into his palms and his fists shaking from anger. Soon, the Chosen's whole body was glowing the same light orange color as his hands had been before, and the Remnants watched their leader with wide eyes as if asking, pleading for an order to leave.

"Hold your ground! Don't you dare leave!" Xeno kept saying, grinning the whole time. He had the sword high above his head, while Sheena's eyes glinted with hope.

"Zelos!" She cried out, trying to reach towards him.

"The Chosen's true power! Powers worthy of Cruxis!" The Remnant leader cried out over her, watching intently as orange wings sprouted from the small of the Chosen's back. Zelos' eyes flickered open, now a shade of dark red.

"Shining…" He exclaimed while his fists reached his sides. His voice seemed to create an echo effect while tunneling through the dark caves.

"…Bind!"

Everybody except Xeno and Sheena let out a cry of anguish as a white light engulfed the entire room.

Blinded by the light, Sheena screamed Zelos' name once more, although she couldn't hear herself for some reason.

When the light dimmed, Zelos remained, bodies of Remnant soldiers surrounding his feet. His eyes, still a dark red, remained poised on Xeno, who, although hurt by Zelos' attack, was still holding the sword high above his head. He chuckled, removing the band around his arm that also had a star emblazoned on it and tying it to the sword.

"It's going to take more than that to kill me, Chosen." He egged Zelos on, smiling and looking down at Sheena for a moment.

"That can be arranged." Zelos muttered through his teeth, suddenly soaring towards his opponent in the limited space available. "Die!"

And then, something happened that would change Sheena forever.

In fact, she couldn't say she even really saw it. It happened in an instant, and she was a bit too delirious to really pay attention, but suddenly, Xeno was upon Zelos, inches away from the angel with the sword pointed at the red crystal sitting just below his throat. And, with ease, it slid its way inside, causing Zelos to clutch the weapon and fall to the floor, his wings disappearing in the process. However, Xeno was knocked back in the process of Zelos' transformation, having touched the blade that became one with the Chosen's chest moments earlier. The Remnant leader sprawled out on the floor and relaxed, one of his legs broken from hitting the floor hard. He didn't move again after that.

And so directed her attention to the man before her, now grinning a bit as he held onto the blade of the sword stuck into his chest. Blinking twice, he stifled a chuckle, beginning to ration his air. She moved to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Zelos cursed mildly under his breath, and closed his eyes that had returned to their original stormy blue. He groaned as his hands gripped the sword, trying to remove it from his chest.

"No!" She cried as if she were in pain, watching his palms begin to bleed from slipping against the blade's edge. "Don't pull it out. You'll only bleed more." She snatched his hands away from the weapon. "We'll just get you back to Mizuho, and -"

"The others will have heard that." He hissed out air as he clasped his hands together, spattering blood over his black shirt. "You need to get out of here before they come here."

"Zelos! You –"

"I'll hold them off as best I can. Go."

"Not without you!"

"Go on without me, dammit! I've worked my ass of to get you out of here, now go! Hell, I even lost my life!" He gestured to the sword protruding from him. "Now, you get the hell –" He coughed loudly, blood smearing all over his face as he pressed his hand to it, stopping him from saying any more.

"Zelos!" Sheena moved closer to him.

"Get going now…" His voice was weaker than it was before, and he slumped forwards, leaning on the sword so it appeared sticking up from the ground.

"No, wait! Zelos! Are you…" She stopped the question for some common sense in this frantic time. He was not fine. And he was telling her to leave him that way.

"Never had anything much ta live for anyways…" Zelos muttered under his breath, looking over at her to place a bloody palm on her face. "Save for you, 'course."

"It can still be this way! Let me help you!" She cried, tears pouring from her eyes. Zelos weakly shook his head. "Stay with me, Zelos! Continue to love me!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, lowering it from her face.

"No can do…" He mumbled, watching her lazily with hazy eyes, chuckling. "Can't do much livin' no more, eh…"

"But Zelos…I…love you…" She told him between sniffles, closing her eyes as he brushed his fingers across her cheeks, doused with tears. "Didn't you hear me? I said I love you!"

"_No time for goodbye…" _His voice was soft and raspy, his eyes drooping and faraway. She placed her head against his, sobbing into his red locks of hair as he continued to speak. _"Don't put your life in someone's hands…they're bound to steal it away…" _He lifted her head with his two fingers, smiling warmly at her although his face was clearly paler than it was before. _"Don't hide your mistakes, 'cuse they'll find you…burn you…" _

"Zelos!" She cried out, holding onto his hand and placing it over her heart. He didn't say anything for a moment. "Oh, Zelos…If I'd known…you…you don't have to go…!" She insisted, tears continuing to streak her cheeks.

"_If I stay, it won't be long, 'till I'm burning on the inside…if I go, I can only hope, that I'll make it to the other side…"_

"Please, if you stay, we could…we could…" She sobbed, sniffling.

And then the words, almost breathless as his eyes pulse grew low, came; the words that would surely haunt her forever.

"_If you want to get out alive, run for your life." _

She didn't hear anything more after that. Not the faint sound of his breathing…not the lingering beat of his heart…it all stopped.

"Zelos?" She gasped.

There was a disturbing silence that filled the room quietly, bouncing off every wall and leaving her heart to beat fervently in her chest.

"Zelos?!"

No answer.

She cried.

In reality, that was all she could do. She couldn't raise him from the dead. No matter how much she was annoyed with him …to matter how many times she'd called him weak and heartless…taking it back would not revive him. Even if she said she loved him now…he would not come back.

Reality awoke her with a brisk slap in the face, and she welcomed it, despite having the other Remnants coming for her as the seconds droned along.

_If you want to get out alive, run for your life. _

The words drifted across her mind, remembering them as she would forever.

A part of her didn't understand. It didn't make sense to leave her like this. Hadn't he kissed her and told her countless times that he was in love, whether she believed him her not? Hadn't he been the one who came to her first when he had his suspicions about them in the first place?

He had.

And without even thinking, she let him slip through her fingers.

So she ran. As fast as she could. Although whether she was running out of this hell or into more of it, she had no idea. She ran and ran until she was standing on the beach outside of Meltokio, close to the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge that shadowed over her as the moon cast light upon it. She wailed at the top of her lungs, but no one would hear her – no one heard her cry of heartbreak and utter despair, for all the unknowing were sleeping, and all the knowing…

…Were dead.

All except her.

The summoner briskly fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands as her eyes tired of crying but continued to nonetheless. This spiraling misery, something she had not felt in a very long time…it had returned; returned with a menacing, merciless grudge that shook to her very core.

Scanning the water, she stood and looked towards the dark city to her southeast.

She couldn't possibly go there. She would have to tell Sebastian…and she would have to visit his house, something she should desperately try to avoid. She would have to tell the King of Tethe'alla, something she would not even want to think about doing when she had promised him to return him safely to Meltokio. Turning into the brush, she thought of a Rheiard in her Wing Pack, and quickly withdrew it, wiping tears from her eyes and muttering to herself.

She remembered that Zelos had once said, "Whatever will be, will be."

That didn't necessarily mean she couldn't influence it.

* * *

An odd noise brought Orochi to an attentive sitting position, where he glanced around warily for any particular person who might have been waiting to strike. Once he realize that there was no one intruding, he quickly stood, having heard some disturbance outside that woke him from his sleep. Pulling on his tanto, Orochi crept out into the nonchalant village of Mizuho, where everyone was still, sleeping peacefully in their bamboo huts. The young ninja noticed that a Rheiard sat outside the village, recently used, and fresh boot tracks made their way into the Chief's Hut.

Orochi's breath caught in his throat.

_**Sheena. I pray it is she who has returned. **_

* * *

Orochi carefully slid open the door to the Chief's Hut, in case what appeared to be Sheena was actually an outsider looking to kill.

"I'm sorry, Orochi; I meant to wake you first." Sheena's voice reached his ears and his heart rate quieted to some degree as he more leisurely made his way into her view.

"That's quite all right." He replied, bowing slightly as he saw Sheena's back turned to him.

The male ninja moved to step forward, but before he could, Sheena turned; revealing her two hands grappling a knife plunged into her stomach. Her face was bleeding in places, and she had many cuts trailing up and down her neck and arms, clotting and scabbing over. Blood was smeared all over her face. Her hands were cuffed together. Orochi could tell that wherever she had been, the outcome had not been pleasant.

But that was the least of his worries.

"Sheena!" Adrenaline firing up, Orochi glided forward, Sheena smiling weakly and removing the dagger from her body before swiftly pointing it at his neck.

"Orochi. I'm sorry. But if you try to help me, I'm going to have to kill you." The female told him calmly, watching fresh blood–_her_ blood–drip from the knife.

"Sheena, why…? Why are you doing this?" He asked frantically, not hiding the worry in his voice.

The blood seeping from her wound weakened her and caused her to fall to her knees.

"He's dead." She told him in a whisper, looking fondly at the blade she clutched in her hand. She snickered faintly. "Soon, I'll be too. We'll go together, like Xeno said."

"No, please!" Orochi cried, kneeling in front of her without even bothering to ask what she had been through. "It doesn't have to end this way, Sheena!" He grabbed her hands, attempting to get her to let go of the knife. Although weak from her wound, she still held it firmly, pointing it his way. "You don't have to do this!"

He watched her sorrowfully look up at him, vaguely remembering the words she'd once said to another.

"_This is my last time." _She placed a bloody hand to her stomach, then to Orochi's face, leaving an imprint where she placed it. Her voice was shaky and unstable. _"It's hard to imagine, but one day, you'll end up like me…" _

Her brown eyes appeared distant as her hands began to shake and she began to stammer things that the other ninja couldn't understand.

"No, Sheena, come on! Stay with me!" He had grabbed her by the shoulders, keeping her upright.

"_If I stay, it won't be long, 'till I'm burning on the inside…if I go, I can only hope, that I'll make it to the other side…" _

"No, Sheena! You can't go!" Orochi took his hands from her shoulders and wrapped them around her wrists as she began to shake violently and take in half-a-breath. Once more she smiled weakly at the ninja, her eyes drooping as she muttered a breathless, slurred "It'll be okay…Orochi…I'll…b-be with him now…"

And after that, she fell onto the blue-clad ninja, spattering blood onto his uniform as he began to tremble himself. The only thing that Orochi could hear omit his own sobs was the chief's final words, airy and almost unheard over the frantic beating of his own heart.

_If you want to get out alive, run for your life. _

* * *

**Nexus: "Hmm…I guess it only turned out to be four chapters. I have an empty feeling inside, though. Like somewhere, they had actually died. [sob] Well, you know, I'm actually pretty glad I wrote this. In the beginning, I was all like, 'Oh mai Martel, how am I gonna write dis?' But now, I think it's one of my most well developed stories, plus I'm proud that I actually finished it… Now, concerning Sheena's on Crack, much less Minor Turnabout; I should have free time to conjure up some more of that for you fans of that out there!**

**Mmmh, well I hope you enjoyed the read! If you liked it, please review! I always enjoy hearing from yous guys~! **

**Love you all!"**


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